Monday, July 9, 2012
MAJORITY OF U.S. STATES APPROVED FOR WAIVER REGARDING NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Obama Administration Approves Two More States For Nclb Flexibility – More Than Half of the Country Now Approved for Waivers, More to Follow
26 States Approved So Far; 10 States and Washington, D.C., Currently Under Review: Other States Can Still Apply
The Obama administration approved Washington and Wisconsin today for flexibility from key provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in exchange for state-developed plans to prepare all students for college and career, focus aid on the neediest students, and support effective teaching and leadership.
This announcement brings to 26 the number of states that have been approved for waivers from NCLB, whose rigid, top-down prescriptions for reform, while well-intentioned, proved burdensome for many states.
Federal education law has been due for congressional reauthorization since 2007. In the face of congressional inaction, President Obama announced in September of 2011 that the Obama Administration would grant waivers from NCLB to qualified states.
The first requests for waivers were granted in February of 2012. Eleven additional requests are still under review, and there is still time for other states to apply.
"It is a remarkable milestone that in only five months, more than half of the states in the country have adopted state-developed, next-generation education reforms to improve student learning and classroom instruction, while ensuring that resources are targeted to the students that need them most," said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. "A strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act remains the best path forward in education reform, but as 26 states have now demonstrated, our kids can't wait any longer for Congress to act."
The 26 states that have been approved for waivers from NCLB include: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
The 10 other states (plus Washington, D.C.) with outstanding requests for waivers include: Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon and South Carolina.
The 14 states (plus Puerto Rico) that have not yet requested a waiver through this process include: Alabama, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont (request withdrawn), West Virginia and Wyoming.
States have until Sept. 6 to apply for the next round of waivers.
FEMA RESPONSE TEAM IN FLORIDA HELPING WITH DISASTER ASSISTANCE AFTER TROPICAL STORM DEBBY
FROM: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Florida’s State Emergency Response Team and the Federal Emergency Management Agency community relations teams are in the 11 declared counties going door to door with disaster assistance information to help survivors recover from Tropical Storm Debby.
Anyone representing the SERT or FEMA, including FEMA-contracted home and property damage inspectors, carries a photo ID ensuring they are easily identifiable. FEMA and SERT teams wear agency shirts.
The teams are visiting with individuals to provide information on resources that are available and to identify people who need assistance in the federally designated counties of Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee and Wakulla.
Officials with the FEMA and SERT teams will not request personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers. Survivors will be asked to provide personal information only when calling FEMA to register the first time.
Once a survivor has registered with FEMA, an inspector will call and set up an appointment to see the damaged property. The inspector will ask for identification and proof of ownership and occupancy (for homeowners) or occupancy only (for renters).
Official FEMA-contracted housing inspectors assess damage, but do not determine cost estimates. They do not charge a survivor for this inspection service. FEMA contractors are not allowed to endorse a contractor or to hire someone on behalf of the survivor.
Suspicions of fraud or attempts to scam survivors should be reported to local law enforcement immediately. People who suspect anyone of committing contractor fraud should contact the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation by calling 866-532-1440 or by emailing ULA@dbpr.state.fl.us.
Survivors are encouraged to register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), going online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or using the FEMA app or m.FEMA.gov with a smart phone or tablet.
REFUELING A SEA HAWK HELICOPTER AT SEA
FROM: U.S. NAVY
Sailors perform in-flight refueling with an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78). Porter is deployed as part of Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex Forster (Released) 120629-N-WO496-258
HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS'S REMARKS ON FDA SAFETY AND INNOVATION ACT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESStatement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the signing of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act
Today, the President signed into law S. 3187, the “Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.” This legislation, which passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, will help speed safe and effective medical products to patients and maintain our Nation’s role as a leader in biomedical innovation.
S. 3187 is the culmination of the work of the administration and Congress, in partnership with patients, the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, the clinical community, and other stakeholders, to provide the Food and Drug Administration with the tools needed to continue to bring drugs and devices to market safely and quickly and promote innovation in the biomedical industry, and to help secure the jobs supported by drug and device development.
This legislation will drive timely review of new innovator drugs and medical devices, implement the program proposed in the 2013 President’s Budget to accelerate approval of lower-cost generic drugs, and fund the new approval pathway for biosimilar biologics created by the Affordable Care Act. These new programs are important to increasing patient access to affordable medicines.
S. 3187 also enhances the tools available to the FDA to combat drug shortages by requiring manufacturers of certain drugs to notify the FDA when they experience circumstances that could lead to a potential drug shortage. This is consistent with the administration’s request to Congress to complement the actions directed by the 2011 Executive Order to address this significant public health issue.
Provisions in the legislation also will help enhance the safety of the drug supply chain in an increasingly globalized market, increase incentives for the development of new antibiotics, renew mechanisms to ensure that children’s medicines are appropriately tested and labeled, and expedite the development and review of certain drugs for the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions.
While enactment of S. 3187 marks an important moment for innovators across industry, research and clinical care settings, its most important beneficiaries are the patients and families that will be helped by the next generation of affordable medical products this bill will help to foster.
SEC. OF STATE CLINTON SPEECH AT TOKYO CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Intervention at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Prince Park Tower Hotel
Tokyo, Japan
July 8, 2012
Thank you, Foreign Minister Gemba. We also thank Prime Minister Noda, Madam Ogata, and the Japanese Government not only for welcoming us here but for the great generosity and leadership Japan continues to show in helping Afghanistan move forward into the transformation decade. We also recognize Secretary General Ban, President Karzai, our Afghan Co-chairs Foreign Minister Rassoul and Finance Minister Zakhilwal, along with representatives of Afghanistan’s civil society who are here, because after all, what we are talking about is the future of the men, women, and children of Afghanistan. And I am delighted they are part of this conference.
I also want to commend all who have produced the three principles of the document, starting with the Afghanistan strategic vision for the transformation decade called Towards Self-Reliance. I really compliment our Afghan friends for an excellent job. And then the Tokyo Declaration and the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework are translating our goals and our commitments into a path that we can follow together and help hold each other accountable.
This conference represents the culmination of nearly two years of intensive work. Beginning in 2010 in Lisbon, continuing in Istanbul last fall, Bonn in December, Chicago in May, and Kabul just a few weeks ago, Afghanistan and the international partners have charted a responsible end to the war and the transfer of full responsibility for security back to Afghanistan.
Together, we have made pledges to meet the needs of the Afghan National Security Forces. Like a number of countries represented here, the United States and Afghanistan signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement that went into effect four days ago. And I was pleased to meet with President Karzai in Kabul yesterday morning, where I announced that Afghanistan is now officially designated a major non-NATO ally of the United States. As President Karzai said, we have to make the security gains and the transition irreversible, and the United States is committed to this enduring partnership.
Now, here in Tokyo we are focused on the economic development and governance advances that we hope to make together. Because we know Afghanistan’s security cannot only be measured by the absence of war; it has to be measured by whether people have jobs and economic opportunity, whether they believe their government is serving their needs, whether political reconciliation proceeds and succeeds.
And Afghanistan has made substantial progress with the help of the international community, as Madame Ogata and others have already outlined. But now we have to ensure the strongest possible collaboration among four groups so that this decade of transformation can produce results: the Afghan Government and people, first and foremost; the international community; Afghanistan’s neighbors; and the private sector. This collaboration depends on mutual accountability, and all sides have work to do and responsibilities to uphold.
As President Obama has said, as Afghanistan stands up, it will not stand alone. Let me speak briefly about each group’s role.
Obviously, the future of Afghanistan belongs to its government and its people. And I welcome the clear vision presented by President Karzai and the Afghan Government today for unlocking Afghanistan’s economic potential by achieving a stable democratic future. That must include fighting corruption, improving governance, strengthening the rule of law, increasing access to economic opportunity for all Afghans, especially for women.
On this point, let me emphasize that the United States believes strongly that no nation can achieve sustainable peace, reconciliation, stability, and economic growth if half the population is not empowered. All citizens need to have the chance to benefit from and contribute to Afghanistan’s progress, and the United States will continue to stand strongly by the women of Afghanistan.
President Karzai has made a strong public commitment to stamping out corruption, implementing key reforms, and building Afghanistan’s institutions. We will support him and the government in that endeavor to enable Afghanistan to move toward self-reliance and away from dependence on donor assistance.
As Afghans do their part, the international community must do ours, by making concrete pledges of economic support to ensure that Afghanistan meets its fiscal needs in the critical post-transition period.
I am very pleased that Prime Minister Noda has confirmed that $16 billion is available from the international community through 2015. This is sustained economic support that will help Afghanistan meet its fiscal needs even as assistance declines. The United States will request from our Congress assistance for Afghanistan at or near the levels of the past decade through the year 2017. And our assistance will create incentives to help the Afghan Government meet mutually agreed reform goals.
In addition to the international community, Afghanistan’s neighbors have an especially key role to play. I’ve spoken before of the vision of a New Silk Road in which Afghanistan is firmly embedded in the economic life of a thriving South and Central Asia. Nothing offers a more credible alternative to insurgency than the jobs and opportunities that come with foreign investment and the expansion of markets. Increasing regional trade will open up new sources of raw materials, energy, and agricultural products—not just for Afghanistan but for all nations in the region. And we are delighted to see this vision coming to light through the Istanbul Process and various regional trade and transit agreements.
The last essential ingredient to a successful economic transition and transformation is the private sector, because that will be key for driving growth, creating jobs, and supporting the kind of reform that needs to be sustainable. We look to the Afghan Government to follow through on their reform commitments, and we look to the international community to do what we can to draw business and investment to Afghanistan. Last month in new Delhi, in anticipation of today’s conference, hundreds of companies attended an investment summit.
So the key pieces are there. The private sector interest is there. The Afghan Government’s commitment to fight corruption and strengthen the rule of law is there. The international community’s support, as evidenced by this conference, is there as well. And the growing partnership between Afghanistan and its neighbors is also growing.
We need to put those commitments together in order to achieve the future that is worthy of the sacrifice of the Afghan people and many nations represented around this table. The future has got to be what the Afghan people have forged for themselves, and we need to make sure that we do everything to make that a reality.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY BURN'S REMARKS AFTER MEETING WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MORSI
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks Following Meeting With Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi
Remarks William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary Cairo, Egypt
July 8, 2012
It is a pleasure to be back in Cairo. Ambassador Patterson and I just finished a very constructive meeting with President Morsi. I conveyed a message of congratulations from President Obama, emphasizing America’s strong commitment to building a new partnership with a new, democratic Egypt, founded on common interest and mutual respect.
While in Cairo, I am also meeting with a broad range of Egyptian leaders, political figures, civil society representatives, and members of the business community. These discussions help prepare for Secretary Clinton’s visit to Egypt later this month, which will highlight U.S. support for Egypt’s democratic transition and economic revival. I’ll add just a few brief points.
First, let me take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Egypt on what is truly an historic set of achievements. A peaceful revolution. Competitive elections. The first democratically-elected civilian president in Egypt's history. For all the very real problems that remain, not all nations who rose up alongside you last year have been so fortunate. Not all nations carry Egypt’s strategic and historic weight. And not all nations can have such an important impact on the entire region through the success of their democratic transition, and through their continued role as a strong pillar of peace, security, and prosperity.
Second, the United States will do all we can to help ensure a successful transition in Egypt, which offers the best path to realize the aspirations of the Egyptian people for dignity, for opportunity, for security, and for a voice in their own affairs. Egyptians know far better than we do that their aspirations are not yet fully realized, but they can count on America’s partnership on the complicated road ahead.
Third, we are mindful that many of the Egyptian people's most pressing concerns today are economic in nature. We are fully committed to tangible initiatives to help Egypt deal with its economic challenges, including meeting immediate financial concerns, providing debt relief, helping to create jobs and educational opportunities, and encouraging U.S. investment and tourism. For all the obvious challenges, Egypt clearly has the potential for economic revival and inclusive growth.
Fourth, in a very short time, Egypt has traveled a remarkable distance, but a great deal of work remains to build the strong, durable democratic system for which the Egyptian people launched their revolution. It will be critical to see a democratically elected parliament in place, and an inclusive process to draft a new constitution that upholds universal rights. The challenge remains of building institutions which will ensure that no matter who wins an election in any particular year, the rights of all Egyptians will always be protected. This challenge belongs not just to Egypt's leaders but to its citizens as well.
Finally, tens of millions of Egyptians will be looking to President Morsi and the Cabinet he forms to take needed steps to advance national unity and build an inclusive government that embraces all of Egypt's faiths and respects the rights of women and secular members of society. So will the international community. We are fully committed to working with Egypt's President, its new government and all parties to sustain our partnership and advance our shared interest in a strong, democratic, and economically vibrant Egypt that is a force for peace and stability in the region.
Thank you very much.
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN TALKS TO THE WASHINGTON POST
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Unsung in Afghanistan
Op-EdRyan C. Crocker
Ambassador to Afghanistan The Washington Post
July 6, 2012
I do two things each week at our management meeting: Read aloud the names of colleagues, mostly military but occasionally civilian, who have given their lives in service of our country; and welcome those recently arrived to serve the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies. These volunteers leave homes, family and sometimes careers to work 16-plus hours a day, six to seven days a week, living in shipping containers. All are aware of the threats we face at the embassy and the more frequent indiscriminate fire against field positions.
These are tough jobs, in a tough place, under even tougher conditions. One cannot underestimate our civilian volunteers’ contributions to achieving our goal of creating a peaceful, stable, self-sustaining Afghanistan that can no longer harbor terrorists who would attack the United States. Since I arrived last July, Afghan forces have begun to take the lead on security for about 75 percent of the population. Never before have so many Afghans had access to health care and education, both boys and girls.
In April, it was Afghan forces who repelled simultaneous attacks in four provinces and Kabul. In May, our countries’ presidents signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with mutual commitments that ensure we will be allies well into the future.
While work remains, none of this would have been possible without the American men and women who volunteered to serve here. People like Paul Folmsbee, our senior officer in regional command east, and Karl Rios, head of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Logar Province. Both work closely with local government, security, business, civil and religious leaders. On April 15, during a meeting with the provincial governor, Karl and Paul spent 12 hours under heavy fire. They sent me a stream of updates and at 2 a.m., still under fire, Paul was evacuated with a badly wounded Afghan soldier. Karl remained on site until dawn, when Afghan forces suppressed the last of the attackers. And once they got the all-clear, both returned to work.
This team is motivated by a desire to make a difference for others. A civilian officer in the east is helping facilitate a program to teach 200 madrassa high school students basic computer and Internet skills to better connect them to job opportunities and to the outside world. “When I touched the mouse for the first time and put my eyes on the monitor screen,” said one student, Fatima, “I felt that I was flying to the sky and seeing a new world of brightness, which gave my heart much happiness.”
While our civilian employees are considered targets, we have not simply hunkered down. Regional security officers and drivers risk their lives to support more than a hundred daily engagements, essential to diplomacy, between Americans and Afghans in Kabul and beyond. I was humbled by their work during the attacks against our embassy in September and April, when I joined them in the operations room.
Despite the danger, our civilian and military personnel, working with their Afghan counterparts, regularly travel “outside the wire,” helping Afghans refurbish homes, canals and irrigation systems left dormant or damaged by the insurgency. For International Women’s Day, civilian Jessica Brandt and her military counterpart, Lt. Col. Barbara Crawford, worked with female Afghan partners to stage an empowerment event for more than 400 women.
The U.S. commander, Gen. Marine John Allen, also recognizes the commitment of our civilians. “Many of the men and women of the State Department serve out in the field, riding in the same vehicles as our Marines and soldiers, living in very austere forward operating bases, exposed to the same hardships and the same dangers that our military personnel face. And yet they go unarmed,” he said. “I cannot praise them highly enough. Without them and this close relationship, we would not be able to accomplish all we have so far.”
I’d also like to thank the 859 Afghan staffers who risk their lives every day to work for the betterment of their country and ours. It takes a special kind of heroism for them to serve alongside us. Taj, for instance, has worked for the U.S. government for more than 20 years; he returned from Pakistan after the fall of Taliban as the first local staffer in the reopened embassy. His outreach to imams to discuss religious tolerance and women’s rights under the Koran is achieving measurable results in fighting extremism. Reza helps connect embassy leadership with politicians and thought leaders, supporters and critics, to hear their concerns and ideas.
Working alongside some of the most committed and determined people that Afghanistan and the United States have to offer has deeply enriched the last assignment I will take in the service of my country. It has left me confident about the future of their nation and ours. I have served in a lot of hard places, with a lot of very good people. None has been better than those I have been privileged to call my colleagues here.
U.S.-NAMIBIA RELATIONS
FROM: US. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Namibia
Bureau of African Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 21, 2012
U.S.-NAMIBIA RELATIONS
U.S.-Namibian relations are friendly. The United States participated in the diplomatic efforts to bring about Namibia's 1990 independence from South Africa and has since provided assistance to improve the well being of the Namibian people. The bilateral relationship is characterized by a shared commitment to democratic principles, including the rule of law and respect for human rights, and has been strengthened through programs to alleviate poverty and promote greater trade ties. The United States and Namibia are partners in the effort to improve health services, strengthen education, and expand trade and development opportunities.
U.S. Assistance to Namibia
Namibia is a focus country under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the United States and Namibia have signed a PEPFAR Partnership Framework. A strategy to implement the Global Health Initiative was also recently completed. USAID and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the primary implementers of these programs. A five-year Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact to reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth entered into force in September 2009. It aims to reduce poverty through economic growth and funds development projects in the sectors of education, tourism, and agriculture. On average, there are 100-120 Peace Corps volunteers present in Namibia. The Department of Defense has provided professional development training to the Namibian Defence Force.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Namibia seeks to diversify its trading relationships which, for historical reasons, were tied to South African goods and services. The country is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Namibia belongs to the Southern African Customs Union, which has signed a Trade, Investment, and Development Cooperative Agreement (TIDCA) with the United States. The TIDCA establishes a forum for consultative discussions, cooperative work, and possible agreements on a wide range of trade issues, with a special focus on customs and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and trade and investment promotion.
Namibia's Membership in International Organizations
Namibia’s foreign policy is heavily influenced by the positions taken by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the African Union, and the Non-Aligned Movement, of which it is a member. Namibia and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Bilateral Representation
The U.S. Ambassador to Namibia is Wanda Nesbit
WWII BATAAN DEATH MARCH SURVIVOR
FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
James Bollich, World War II veteran and Bataan Death March survivor, stands in his home next to a framed American flag that his grandson, an Airman, had flown over a U.S. military installation in his honor. Bollich spent three and a half years a prisoner of war in Manchuria from 1942 until the end of WWII. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kate Blais)
Bataan Death March survivor shares story
by Kate Blais
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs
7/5/2012 - LAFAYETTE, La.(AFNS) -- Fewer and fewer Americans today can recall where they were when they heard the news that Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, had been attacked by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. As the number of first-hand accounts from World War II continues to decrease and new conflicts of the current era arise, earlier struggles begin to fade away, making it ever more important to preserve our nation's living history.
At his home in Lafayette, La., in the midst of countless books and homemade art, one WWII veteran and former prisoner of war shares his experience of the war, one that is slightly different than most.
Like many of his peers, James Bollich, barely out of his teenage years, joined the U.S. military in the midst of another world conflict brewing overseas.
"It was about the time Germany occupied Paris, everybody at school was talking about the Army, and nobody was really studying like they should've been," recalled Bollich. "That's when I decided that before long we would be in the war and just like a young kid, I wanted to be part of it and I wanted the air corps."
Against his mother's wishes, Bollich joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on Aug. 23, 1940, in Bossier City, La., at what was then Barksdale Field, and was assigned to the 16th Bomb Squadron, 27th Bomb Group.
Bollich spent time at a base in Savannah, Ga., and then reported to technical school in Dallas, where he studied airplane mechanics and took part in maneuvers and exercises at an air field in Lake Charles, La., all before heading overseas.
"As soon as the maneuvers ended we were shipped overseas," he said. "We left San Francisco November 1 and arrived in the Philippines on November 20, and 18 days later we were already at war with Japan."
Four months later, 20-year-old Corporal Bollich would become a prisoner of war.
When word got back to Bollich and his outfit that the Japanese had made a major landing about 35 miles from where they were, they were instructed to quickly pack-up and told that they would be evacuated, by boat, from Manila to the Bataan Peninsula across Manila Bay.
Thousands of American and Filipino troops now occupied the Bataan Peninsula, leaving the U.S. Army responsible for feeding everyone. In the meantime the Japanese controlled the surrounding seas and skies, making it difficult for American support to resupply these men.
"We were running out of food," Bollich said frankly. "That's when we tried to get extra food by going up into the mountains. People ate monkeys, snakes, lizards, just about anything that they could find."
When most food sources were exhausted, including mules, "essentially what we were living on was a slice of bread made out of rice flour, covered with gravy made out of water and rice flour. We were essentially starving to death and weren't in any shape to fight and the Japanese easily broke through our front lines," he said.
When their front lines did eventually break, they were ordered to retreat to the tip of the Bataan Peninsula, where they eventually surrendered to the Japanese.
"We were told to destroy all of our arms and ammunition. Finally here came the [Japanese]. They lined us up, counted us and started us out on what is now known as the [Bataan] Death March."
For the next five and a half days, thousands of American and Filipino troops walked day and night enduring exhaustion and physical pain.
"We had no idea what was ahead," said Bollich. "I'll never forget our old first sergeant, when the surrender came he said, 'we survived the war, the Japanese are going to take us and put us in a prison camp. We'll get fed, have water and rest and just sit and wait out the war.' That guy was dead within three weeks after we were captured. It didn't turn out that way at all."
Bollich recalled marching out of the peninsula with Japanese guards on either side of the line of prisoners.
"They took our wallets, anybody who had a ring they took those, took our dog tags. Then they began to beat us. They beat us with rifle butts, sabers, clubs, anything they could get their hands on. That went on all day long. They wouldn't let anybody have a drink of water or let us rest and they didn't feed us.
"And then I think it was around the middle of the second day that people began to collapse. We hadn't had water in a day and a half and in the tropics it's almost beyond what you can take. And of course once anybody collapsed, the Japanese immediately killed them, it looked like they were really trying to kill us all."
Upon arrival at the first prison camp, Camp O'Donnell, a former Philippine Army training camp, Bollich said the soldiers were met by the general who had called for their surrender. General King spoke in front of the crowd, assuring his men that he would take full responsibility for the surrender and for his troops not to feel bad.
"Then the Japanese commander got up and laid down the rules of the camp," said Bollich. "He said that if any were broken, the person would be shot, which are words we expected to hear. But he was speaking through an interpreter and the interpreter said that you have come here to die. At first I didn't believe it and that he'd misquoted the Japanese commander, but it didn't take us long to realize that he was telling the truth."
Bollich admitted that the exact number of Americans who died on the march remains unknown, but is estimated anywhere between 800 to 2,000 troops. However, Bollich is sure of the death toll of the first 40 days of being in Camp O'Donnell, because he witnessed it. His best estimate is approximately another 1,800 Americans in that time period, averaging about 45 per day.
"All we were doing was burying the dead," remembered Bollich. "I remember looking around and deciding that the way people were dying that within a few weeks we would all be dead. Our food was nothing but a handful of cooked rice a day. The barracks we stayed in were made out of bamboo with thatched roofs, no doors or windows. At night the mosquitos would chew us alive and during the day time the flies would get all over us. The big killer was dysentery. They had open latrines that had flies by the billions, covering our camp. Once you caught dysentery you were gone."
Bollich recalled that within the first four weeks of confinement at Camp O'Donnell, three men escaped to find food and were caught trying to sneak back into the camp. For breaking the rules, the men were tortured for days until all the prisoners were called out to an area in the camp where the three men had dug their own graves and witnessed each man get executed.
Bollich became one of 2,000 prisoners selected to be transported to Japan for confinement in another POW camp. He described the packed ship as having two holds, one in the front and one in the back, each holding 1,000 men.
"We were only allowed two guys at a time to crawl up the steel ladder to go top side to use the latrine," he said. "A lot of the guys had dysentery and within a matter of a few hours, the place was already like a cesspool."
He went on to describe the atmosphere below deck.
"At night the hold was completely dark. There'd be crying and screaming and praying. And inevitably in the morning when the Japanese would open up the hold there'd be one or two POWs that had died. We'd just hand them up to the Japanese and the Japanese would just throw them over board."
Conditions below deck got so bad that the ship docked in Taiwan so that the POWs could be taken off the ship and hosed down.
"That was about seven months from the time we had surrendered and we were still in the same clothes that we surrendered in. That was the first water we had on our bodies in all that length of time," he said.
After what seemed like many more days at sea, the boat reached its final destination: Pusan, Korea. Once everyone was pulled out of the ship, the POWs were put into trucks and transported to a military camp situated on the shore.
The ones who were in weak physical condition stayed until they were strong enough to move again.
"Of the 80 or 90 of us that stayed there [in the military camp] about 30 or 35 of us survived, the rest died and were taken out each day and cremated and their ashes were brought back and given to us," said Bollich.
When the surviving POWs were strong enough to leave, they boarded trains and headed off to Mukden, Manchuria, which according to Bollich was "one of the coldest places in the world and that's where I stayed until the war ended."
Once at the POW camp in Mukden when he became physically well enough to work, Bollich was sent to a factory originally set-up to manufacture automobile parts. In the midst of dozens of unopened crates containing American machines, the POWs were instructed to cement the factory floor, make sturdy foundations for the machines, set them up and start production.
In his book, "Bataan Death March: A Soldier's Story," Bollich mentioned that although he and his fellow POWs were ordered to correctly perform certain tasks in the factory, they took the opportunity to be discreetly insubordinate. For example, he wrote that the men discovered smaller but important machine parts, such as handles, knobs, dials and screws, in empty crates. Once the small but necessary items were discovered, the POWs defiantly disposed of them in the holes they had dug, quickly filling them in with concrete and making it impossible for the machines to function.
His life continued with little food and walking what he estimated as five miles either way to and from the factory day after day until the day the air raid sirens rang. Off in the distance, Bollich recalls seeing miles of contrails and big black planes flying toward the factory.
When Japanese fighters took off to defend their positions, in his book Bollich describes the scene: "From the ground it looked like a swarm of mosquitoes going after a flock of geese and the comparison is good, because that is about how effective the Japanese fighters were."
"They were B-29s," he continued. "[At the time] we didn't know what B-29s were, but we were happy to see them. After all that time, finally it looked like the war was maybe coming to an end. Those B-29s, I've never seen anything like it, it just looked like the sky was black with bombs."
The B-29 bombs fell in December 1944, and eight months later Mukden POW camp was liberated. After three and a half years of confinement, Bollich was free and heading home. He and the remaining POWs were taken to a nearby railroad station and transported to Port Arthur, China, where they boarded a ship for their journey back to the U.S.
They finally docked in San Francisco, the same port Bollich left nearly four years earlier.
Bollich rested in a hospital for five to six weeks before returning home to Louisiana. He described his return home as less than the jovial occasion he had dreamed about, as he learned that two of his brothers had been killed in the war, and his mother was devastated.
Today, Bollich is part of a group that gets smaller as time passes.
"As far as World War II, all my friends are gone. In my outfit I only know of one other guy who's still alive," he said.
When asked how he managed to survive the Bataan Death March and then life in a prison camp, he has a very clear answer, "I couldn't imagine people going to my mother and saying that [I'd] died. I think that's what kept most young people alive, the fact that they had families to go to."
Had he decided to give up, he's sure he could have found a quick end to the misery.
"Everybody prayed, and apparently it didn't work for everybody. But maybe it did. I think things got so bad that a lot of guys prayed to die and if you wanted to give up you could die in a hurry. There were two or three times in my confinement that if I had decided to die I could of died within a couple of days," admitted Bollich.
After Bollich returned home, he decided to remain in the reserves for three years, taking the time to decide if after his experience as a POW he could still stay in the military. He ultimately decided to pursue higher education, a choice he said helped him deal with the dreams of confinement that ensued upon his return to the states.
"The thing about it," he said, "in prison camp, when you went to bed at night you'd dream about being free and then you woke up and you were still in that POW camp. When you got back home, at night when I'd go to bed, I'd dream I was back in POW camp, so I didn't want to sleep. And that really helped my studies, because instead of just staying up and doing nothing, I studied. So going to school helped a lot."
After his experience as a POW and survivor of the death march, when asked what advice he'd give to young servicemembers facing challenges in their personal and professional lives, he suggests considering what veterans went through.
"Talk to some of the old soldiers," he said. "Some of those Marines who fought in the Pacific and the soldiers who fought in Europe, look at what they went through."
Bollich reflects on the decision to drop the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which effectively led to Japan's surrender in WWII, and wonders what would have happened had U.S. forces conducted a land invasion of the country instead.
He said toward the end of the war, the Japanese higher command put out a directive to all of the POW camps saying the minute it was learned the Americans had landed on Japanese soil, the commander was to kill all of the POWs under their control.
Bollich continued, "There was no doubt in my mind that had we not dropped the atomic bomb and we invaded Japan, not a single POW would have gotten home."
And being honest about what may have been his fate, Bollich understands that, "of course, that includes me."
Bollich has authored 11 books, including "Bataan Death March: A Soldier's Story," about his time as a POW.
U.S. SEC. OF STATE CLINTON AND JAPAN FOREIGN MINISTER KOICHIRO GEMBA
Remarks With Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Iikura Guest House
Tokyo, Japan
July 8, 2012
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to commence the press conference with Minister Gemba and Secretary Clinton. First of all Minister Gemba will speak, and then Secretary Clinton will follow.
Minister, the floor is yours.
FOREIGN MINISTER GEMBA: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. I would like to make my initial statement. Today, in the time available during the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan, I was able to exchange views thoroughly with Secretary Clinton on matters not only about Tokyo Conference itself, but also the follow-up of our Prime Minister’s recent visit to the U.S., ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings due next week, the Asia Pacific situation including North Korea, and the challenges such as Iran.
First on Afghanistan, substantive discussion is being developed in this Tokyo Conference, which makes me feel that combined with the outcome of the NATO Chicago Summit meeting which has been led of the United States – led by the United States, a way could be paved for the independent and sustainable nation building of Afghanistan during the transformation decade in both security and development aspects.
I have shared this perception with Secretary Clinton and confirmed that we will continue to partner and collaborate closely so as to ensure the follow-up on the outcome of the Tokyo Conference, such as the concepts of our mutual commitment and regular review process going forward. So we will continue to have close collaboration between the two countries.
Next, on Japan-U.S. relations, we confirmed that with a view to deepening that U.S. alliance, U.S.-Japan alliance, befitting the 21st century, we will solidly follow up the outcome of our Prime Minister’s recent visit to the U.S..
On U.S. Forces realignment, Secretary Clinton and I, based upon the joint statement from the recent 2+2 meeting, confirmed to accelerate our works so that certain outcome can be achieved by the end of this year on questions such as: one, relocation of Marines in Okinawa and Guam; two, return of the land south of Kadena; and three, improvement of the training facilities in Guam and Northern Mariana in order to concretize Japan-U.S. dynamic defense cooperation. We also reconfirmed to work continuously on Futenma Air Station relocation to Henoko.
On the question of Osprey, I have sought the continued cooperation from the U.S. side regarding the further provision of information on the accidents. Prompt and sufficient information provision is something that I have requested for U.S. cooperation, so that not only the people of Okinawa but the Japanese citizens at large can feel reassured on the safety question, to which Secretary Clinton gave us her understanding.
On Iran, I explained our position once again that we support the EU3+3 approach towards the peaceful, diplomatic solutions of the issue, and we promote collaboration of international community based on the approach of dialogue and pressure. Japan wishes to continue our efforts to closely coordinate with the U.S. and the international community.
Asia Pacific: We exchanged our views on the Asia Pacific situation. In particular on DPRK, once again we confirmed to maintain close coordination between Japan and U.S. and among Japan, U.S., and South Korea.
So that is all for my initial remarks.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Minister. Secretary Clinton, the floor is yours.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Minister Gemba, and I am delighted that we had a chance to have a broad, comprehensive discussion. I want to begin by congratulating the Government of Japan for the excellent preparation and execution of the Tokyo Conference. As the Minister said, here we have agreed that we need a different kind of long-term economic partnership, one built on Afghan progress in meeting its goals, in fighting corruption, in carrying out reform, and providing good governance.
After intensive effort with the international community, Japan has announced that $16 billion has been pledged to support Afghanistan’s development over the next four years – more than enough to meet the World Bank’s estimated requirements. And we thank Japan for its generous pledge.
For our part, the United States will be working with Congress to provide assistance at or near the levels of the past decade through 2017, both to help secure Afghanistan’s gains and to protect the already considerable investment that the United States has made not only in financial terms but in the sacrifice of our men and women in the last decade.
We must ensure that the transition is irreversible and that Afghanistan can never again be a safe haven for international terrorism. Just as we met in Chicago three months ago to safeguard Afghanistan’s security future, today we have charted a way forward on Afghanistan’s economic requirements. So I believe that we have really made a good commitment to putting Afghanistan on a path to economic self-sufficiency. As Afghan capacity and revenues increase, our contributions can decline.
We emphasized key factors about the role of the Afghan Government and people in stepping up to meet the challenges that they have ahead of them; the role of the international community to support its commitments and to do so within the Tokyo Framework of Mutual Accountability; the role of the neighbors to work together to build a prosperous, interconnected zone of commerce and trade across South and Central Asia; and the role of the private sector in helping bring investment, training, and jobs.
This morning I also had the opportunity to meet with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khar to discuss our many shared interests, including the fight against extremism and terrorism; a successful resolution to the Afghan conflict; promotion of civil society and democratic institutions; and greater economic and trade opportunities.
Later today Foreign Minister Khar and I will join Afghan Foreign Minister Rassoul when we convene the first minister-level Core Group meeting among the three countries. We will reaffirm the Core Group’s goal of enhanced cooperation in support of an Afghan peace and reconciliation process, and jointly we will reiterate our call for the armed opposition to abandon violence and enter into a dialogue with the Afghan Government.
The Foreign Minister and I also discussed a range of bilateral and regional concerns. We are looking forward to both attending the ASEAN Regional Forum in Cambodia, where we will have an opportunity for a trilateral meeting with the Republic of Korea. Among the items to be discussed there will be pressing Pyongyang to meet its international obligations. I reaffirmed the United States commitment to Japan’s defense and security. We’re moving forward on the vision that we laid out in April on the future of our alliance. We’re addressing new challenges on the high seas, in space, and cyberspace.
And I want to say a word about the issue that the Minister raised with me concerning the Osprey aircraft. Meeting our security requirements requires the right equipment, including military aircraft. And I understand and appreciate the concern raised here in Japan, and in particular on Okinawa, about the Osprey. The United States cares deeply about the safety of the Japanese people, just as we care deeply about the safety of the men and women in the U.S. military. And we will work closely with our Japanese partners to ensure that any American military equipment brought into Japan will meet the highest safety standards. And I assured the Minister that when the investigation is complete, the results will be shared with Japan.
We also discussed the opportunity to strengthen our economic relationship, and the United States welcomes Japan’s interest in the Trans Pacific Partnership, which we think will connect economies throughout the region, making trade and investment easier, spurring exports, creating jobs. The TPP is just one element of our increased focus on the Asia Pacific, but it is important that we recognize that the Japanese-American relationship is really at the cornerstone of everything we are doing in the Asia Pacific. We are not only treaty allies; we are friends and partners with common interests and shared values.
When I leave Japan, I will be traveling to Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, where I will deliver a common message: The United States is a partner in the Pacific working not only to promote security, but also to create greater economic opportunity, support democratic reform, spark innovation, and strengthen the ties between and among our people.
Finally, to turn briefly to another part of the world, yesterday the people of Libya went to the polls to choose their representatives for the Libya National Congress, and we congratulate them on this historic milestone. After more than four decades of authoritarian rule, men and women from every corner of Libya are beginning to determine their own future. And it will be the will of the people, not the whim of a dictator.
But of course, now the hard work really begins to build an effective, transparent government that unifies the country and delivers for the Libyan people. And the United States stands ready to assist Libyans in their transition to a free, democratic Libya at peace with your neighbors and where every Libyan has a chance to fulfill his or her God-given potential.
So again, thank you, Minister. And I appreciate greatly our very strong consultation and partnership.
MODERATOR: Questions. If you are designated, please identify yourself by stating your name and affiliation. Proceed to your questions. First, the Japanese media.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Thank you. Nishida from Mainichi newspaper company. I have questions to both of you. During the meeting you have exchanged views regarding regional situation. Tough security situation continues in Asia, so I have a question about that. As you mentioned, in a couple of days ARF ES/EAS-related meetings will be held in Cambodia. Major theme will be South China Sea related issues. During your conference, what kind of discussion did you have? Also between ASEAN and China, legally binding Code of Conduct is something which is being debated. So between Japan and the U.S., the collaboration is taken in certain approaches. May I have comments from both of you?
MODERATOR: First of all, Minister Gemba.
FOREIGN MINISTER GEMBA: Thank you very much, Mr. Nishida. Your question was regarding the situation pertaining to South China Sea. United Nations has a Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as other related international laws. We must be abided by the international laws and then we should be making rules. I think it’s very important to do the rulemaking in accordance to international laws. It’s a basic thinking.
On top of that, through dialogue, in a peaceful way we must resolve the problems. That is the basic thinking I have. Based upon that thinking, I discussed it with Secretary Clinton. Among others, as you indicated, COC, Code of Conduct, was included in our discussion. Thank you.
MODERATOR: Secretary Clinton.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think it’s important to reiterate what the Minister said. We believe that we have a national interest, as every nation does, in the freedom of navigation, in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, and unimpeded, lawful commerce in the South China Sea. And therefore we believe the nations of the Asia Pacific region should work collaboratively and diplomatically to resolve their disputes without coercion, without intimidation, without threats, and without conflict.
We want to see all parties with claims – whether they are land or maritime claims – pursue them in accordance with international law, including as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention. And we urge progress between the ASEAN nations and China on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. And certainly when we go to Cambodia for the ASEAN Regional Forum, both the Minister and I will be urging that progress be made on such a Code of Conduct.
MODERATOR: U.S. media.
QUESTION: Yes, Brad Klapper from Associated Press. In an interview he gave today, UN mediator Kofi Annan conceded that his Syria peace plan was failing. Yet just a couple days ago, you were still trying to pressure Assad into implementing the ceasefire and the plan for political transition. Do you have any hope left, any at all, that Assad might do these things? Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Bradley, I think what Kofi Annan said should be a wakeup call to everyone, because he acknowledged that there has not been movement by the Syrian regime in accordance with his six-point plan or the more specific communiqué out of Geneva’s Action Group meeting.
And therefore the parties, principally the government, have to ask themselves: What is the alternative? The violence is increasing. June was the deadliest month for the Syrian people in terms of the thousands of Syrians killed and injured. There are 1.5 million displaced people within Syria. There are tens of thousands of refugees crossing the border. There’s already been an incident affecting Turkey because of military action by the Syrian Government. There was just yesterday an unfortunate incident across the Lebanese border. There is no doubt that the opposition is getting more effective in their defense of themselves and in going on the offense against the Syrian military and the Syrian Government’s militias.
So the future, to me, should be abundantly clear to those who support the Assad regime: The days are numbered; and the sooner there can be an end to the violence and a beginning of a political transition process, not only will fewer people die, but there’s a chance to save the Syrian state from a catastrophic assault that would be very dangerous not only to Syria but to the region.
So I think Special Envoy Annan was admitting the obvious, that as of today he’s not been able to convince the Syrian Government and those supporting it to wake up and recognize the path they are on, but that there is still time. And as we saw with the recent high-level defection, with the increasing numbers of defections, the sand is running out of the hourglass. And we want to make clear to the Syrian regime that they need to be willing to end the violence and start the serious business of a political transition.
MODERATOR: Japanese media, please.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Kikwaji from Nippon Television Network. Now, Osprey is something that I want to ask you. Minister Gemba and Secretary Clinton, my question is to both of you. Accidents happened, one after another, so mainly in Okinawa but elsewhere too there is a call for the revision of the plan. So other than information provision, Minister Gemba, did you ask for any concrete measures? As of now, do you think that deployment of Osprey is possible?
MODERATOR: Secretary Clinton, this question. This may affect the Japanese relationship with the U.S.. How do you see the implication and the impact, and is there any plan for information provision? Minister Gemba first.
FOREIGN MINISTER GEMBA: Thank you very much for your question, Mr. Kikwaji. A question regarding Osprey. As I said earlier on, in Iwakuni and in Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan, a lot of people are showing very harsh reaction regarding the deployment of Osprey. I was very frank about it and I conveyed this point to Secretary Clinton.
Having done so, we have coordinated and collaborated until the very last of possibilities. It is a fact that we have done the closest coordination that we can do, and still the reaction is very harsh. That is what I told Secretary Clinton about. And later on, Secretary made – referred to it. She said that situation that should give reassurance to the Japanese people, the information would be provided which will reassure Japanese people. Especially the local people have serious concern. In order to remove any possible concerns, what is needed? We have to consider what is possible that we can do in order to remove any worries. That is something that we wish to seriously study. It is – situation is serious, so I was very frank about this with Secretary Clinton.
Thank you.
MODERATOR: Secretary Clinton.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Let me reiterate that the United States cares deeply about the safety of the Japanese people and we will take every measure to ensure that any equipment brought to Japan for Japan’s defense by the U.S. military meets the highest safety standards. Overall, the MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record, and we believe that basing it in Okinawa will significantly strengthen our ability in providing for Japan’s defense, performing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, and other duties as a key ally.
But in recognition of the concerns that the Minister has just described, the defense ministries of both of our countries have agreed that they will wait until the results of the safety investigation are presented to the Japanese Government and confirmed, because it is very important to the United States that Japan shares our confidence in the safety of the Osprey. So we will work to ensure that the Japanese Government is satisfied that the Osprey is safe to fly in Japan.
MODERATOR: In the interest of time, last question from the U.S. media.
QUESTION: Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. Jo Biddle from AFP. Following your meeting with Foreign Minister Khar, how confident are you that the United States and Pakistan have put aside the difficulties that we’ve seen in the relationships – in the relationship over the past year? And more specifically, could you tell us how you believe that the reopening of the Pakistan border posts will help in counterterrorism efforts? Thank you very much.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you. As I said, we had a very broad-ranging, constructive discussion as a follow-up to our recent work in resolving some of the disputes around the opening of the lines of communication in Pakistan. We are both encouraged that we’ve been able to put the recent difficulties behind us so we can focus on the many challenges still ahead of us. And we want to use the positive momentum generated by our recent agreement to take tangible, visible steps on our many shared core interests.
First and foremost, we focused on the necessity of defeating the terror networks that threaten the stability of both Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as interests of the United States, along with our allies and partners. And we discussed Afghan reconciliation efforts and the importance that both the United States and Pakistan support this Afghan-led process. So I am pleased we will have a chance to discuss that trilaterally later this afternoon and look toward how we can better coordinate our efforts. We also discussed economic support for Pakistan and the goal of moving toward more trade than aid as part of our economic relationship.
So we discussed a number of important issues, and obviously there’s a lot of follow-up work that has to be done. I’ve said many times that this is a challenging but essential relationship. It remains so. And I have no reason to believe it will not continue to raise hard questions for us both, but it is something that I think is in the interest of the United States as well as the interest of Pakistan.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen of the press. This completes the joint press conference of Minister Gemba and Secretary Clinton. Thank you very much.
THE CONSTITUTION TAKES BOSTON HARBOR
FROM: U.S. NAVY
120704-N-KP312-005 BOSTON (July 4, 2012) USS Constitution sails up Boston Harbor during Boston Navy Week. Boston Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The eight-day long event commemorates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and coalition ships from around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman/Released)
USS Constitution Celebrates Independence Day, War Of 1812 Bicentennial Underway
CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (NNS) -- USS Constitution and her crew got underway for her annual July 4th turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor, July 4.
The cruise was Constitution's second of 2012 and one of the last major events of Boston Navy Week, June 28-July 5.
"There is simply no better way to celebrate Independence Day than being on board Constitution," said Cmdr. Matthew Bonner, Constitution's 72nd commanding officer. "And this year is made even more special by celebrating the commemoration of the War of 1812 and sailing with USCGC Eagle to honor the nation."
The ship got underway shortly after 11 a.m. with 499 guests in attendance. Many of them were winners of Constitution's 2012 lottery drawing. Chief of Naval Operations for Denmark Rear Adm. Finn Hansen and four of Constitution's former commanding officers were also aboard.
"The Fourth of July is all about history and heritage," said Sonar Technician (Submarine) 1st Class (SS) Mark Comeiro, a Boston native, and Constitution's officer of the deck for the underway. "As such, it couldn't be more appropriate for our ship to get underway today. This ship is very special to a lot of people from this city, state and country. I am so proud to serve aboard her."
At 11:45 a.m., retired Cmdr. Bob Gillen, Constitution's 59th commanding officer, and representatives of the Bellingham Bell company unveiled Constitution's new shipboard bell. The inscription on the bell commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812, a war in which Constitution won three major victories. It's also the fourth bell in the ship's 214-year history.
At noon, Constitution performed a 21-gun salute near Fort Independence on Castle Island. Fort Independence is a state park that served as a defense post for Boston Harbor at one time.
"It was a very moving experience to be aboard this ship on the Fourth of July," said Seamus Daly, one of Constitution's lottery winners. "The three salutes the Constitution performed and the flyover was simply fantastic."
At 12:20 p.m., Constitution passed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) and rendered honors with a 19-gun salute, which culminated with a flyover demonstration by the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels.
Sailors performed a final 17-gun salute to the city of Boston near Coast Guard Station Boston, the former site of the Edmund Hartt Shipyard where Constitution was built. The shots honored the 16 states that comprised America when Constitution launched in 1797 and one in honor of the ship. She returned to her berth at approximately 1:30 p.m.
Additionally, Constitution's color guard detail will present the colors at the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at Boston's Hatch Shell at 8:30 p.m. tonight.
This is the sixth of eight Navy Weeks Constitution Sailors are scheduled to participate in throughout 2012, celebrating the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Boston Navy Week is being held in conjunction with Boston Harborfest, a festival that showcases the colonial and maritime heritage of Boston.
The primary purpose of Navy Week is to increase Navy awareness by presenting the Navy to Americans who live in cities that normally do not have a significant naval presence. Boston Navy Week will showcase the mission, capabilities and achievements of the U.S. Navy and provide residents the opportunity to meet Sailors firsthand.
Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors per year. She defended the sea lanes against threat from 1797 to 1855, much like the mission of today's Navy. America's Navy: Keeping the sea free for more than 200 years.
Constitution's mission today is to offer community outreach and education about the ship's history.
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Sunday, July 8, 2012
AN ADMIRAL PITCHES BASEBALL IN BOSTON
FROM: U.S. NAVY
Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mark Ferguson throws out the first pitch at a Yankee-Red Sox game to help celebrate the conclusion of Boston Navy Week. Boston Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The eight-day long event commemorates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and coalition ships from around the world. U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the Boston Red Sox by Amanda Swinhart (Released) 120706-N-ZZ999-001
U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER SPEAKS AT NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2012
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference Las Vegas ~ Saturday, July 7, 2012
Thank you, Daniel, for those kind words – and for your extraordinary service that you provided as Chair of the Board of Directors. I’d also like to thank President Murguía for her friendship, her outstanding leadership – and her unwavering commitment – to strengthening the legacy, and the record of achievement, that has been the hallmark of the National Council of La Raza for decades.
It is a pleasure to join you in celebrating, and working to extend, this tradition. And it is an honor to be included in the litany of policymakers, elected and appointed officials, and leaders from all across the nation – and the political spectrum – who have attended this conference to speak with and learn from the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the country. I also have to admit that it’s particularly nice to be outside of Washington today – and to be among so many friends. And I want you to know that, in addition to your friendship, I am grateful for your partnership – and for the outstanding work that you are doing, in communities nationwide, to advance our nation’s long and ongoing struggle to ensure equality, opportunity, and justice for all.
In a very real sense, you are now on the front lines of this fight – the same fight that, more than four decades ago, inspired Herman Gallegos, Dr. Julian Samora, and Dr. Ernesto Galarza to create the Southwest Council of La Raza. They were united by shared concerns and frustrations, but also by a common vision and a collective optimism. As I look around this room today, it’s clear that their passion for righting wrongs; their dedication to assisting and empowering the Latino community; and their determination to build a more fair, more free, and more just society – remain as vibrant as ever before. And it’s obvious that these qualities continue to guide this organization’s efforts not only to safeguard the progress that has always defined America’s history – but to build upon it.
Through programs like the Lideres Initiative – and campaigns like Home for Good, We Can Stop the Hate, and Mobilize to Vote – NCLR has established itself as an influential voice in protecting the civil rights of everyone in this nation; encouraging community engagement; inspiring future generations of leaders and activists; and ensuring equality in our law enforcement activities, immigration policies, housing and financial markets, school systems, workplaces, and voting booths.
Time and again, you have proven your ability to give voice to the challenges facing the most vulnerable among us, and to shine a light on the promises our nation must fulfill. And, especially this week, as we celebrate the birth of our nation – and the rich diversity that has always driven America’s strength and success – this conference presents an important opportunity: to renew our commitment to the founding principles – and enduring ideals – of fairness, inclusion, and opportunity; and to reclaim, for ourselves and our children, the singular, animating force that – more than half a century ago – a young United States Senator named John F. Kennedy called the great “secret of America”: that this country is comprised of people “with the fresh memory of old traditions who dared to explore new frontiers – people eager to build lives for themselves in a spacious society that did not restrict their freedom of choice and action.”
Of course, each one of us has benefited from this remarkable – and uniquely American – spirit. Like many of you, I was raised in a family – and community – of immigrants. And like all of you, I have enjoyed the blessings of freedom, and the opportunities that – for more than two centuries – have been available to those who dared to set out for, and seek a better life upon, America’s shores. But I also understand that – despite the truth and transformative power of the American Dream; and despite all the progress we’ve made over the last 236 years – our nation’s struggle to overcome injustice and eliminate disparities remains far from over.
Many of you know this firsthand – and have felt the impact of division, and even discrimination, in your own lives. And I’m encouraged that all of you have chosen to respond by leading the way forward; by speaking out about the fact that we have further to travel on the road to equality; and by working to make certain that the hard-won progress of the Civil Rights era is protected. Today, unfortunately, some of these gains have come under renewed threat. And there can be no doubt that our nation now faces a moment of great consequence. But this also is a time of remarkable opportunity. And as you continue to lead national efforts to confront the obstacles that lie ahead and to uphold the values that have always defined who we are as Americans – I want to assure you that, in the fight to protect the civil rights of all – this organization will never have a more committed partner than the United States Department of Justice.
For my colleagues – and for me – our civil rights enforcement efforts are, and will remain, a top priority. And under the leadership of my good friend, and your good friend, Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez – I’m proud to report that the Department’s civil rights enforcement efforts have never been stronger or more effective.
Over the past three years, our Civil Rights Division has filed more criminal civil rights cases than during any other period in its history – including record numbers of human trafficking, hate crimes, and police misconduct cases. Through our reinvigorated partnerships with state, local, and international authorities – particularly Mexican leaders – and thanks to a number of anti-trafficking training programs that the Department has helped to create, and to expand – we’ve seen a rise of more than 30 percent in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions.
These actions have sent an unmistakable message to those who would deprive others of their dignity, their freedom, and their essential civil rights – that we will find you, stop you, and bring you to justice. They underscore our determination to secure severe penalties against those who violate our civil rights laws. And they prove our commitment to protecting and empowering each and every victim we can reach.
Nowhere is this commitment more clear than in our work to combat hate crimes. Since 2009, the Justice Department has prosecuted 35 percent more hate crime cases than during the preceding three-year period. Today, we’re vigorously enforcing the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – which President Obama signed into law in 2009, after NCLR, and so many other civil rights organizations, worked tirelessly to advance this critical legislation. As the Department’s record clearly shows, we will not hesitate to use it – and every other available tool – to hold offenders accountable, and to protect your rights.
In fact, one of the first cases the Department brought under this law involved five Latino victims who were pursued along a highway – and brutally attacked – simply because of their ethnicity. In this and other instances, the Shepard-Byrd Act helped us to achieve convictions – and stiff penalties – befitting the horrific nature of these crimes. You saw further proof of this last year, when the Justice Department secured a conviction – and a prison sentence totaling more than four years – against an individual who sent a series of racist, threatening messages to the National Council of La Raza and four other Latino civil rights organizations. But our dedication to ensuring fair and equal treatment – and our resolve to move aggressively in enforcing civil rights protections and ending discrimination – also extends far beyond our efforts to seek justice against those who commit, or threaten to commit, violent crimes.
In recent years, it has also driven the implementation of a series of new initiatives and enforcement actions that the Department has taken in order to eliminate predatory and discriminatory practices in America’s housing and lending markets – while establishing important protections for communities of color, military service members, veterans, and others who have been targeted. In 2011 alone, the Civil Rights Division – through its new Fair Lending Unit – settled or filed a record number of cases to hold financial institutions accountable for discriminatory practices directed at African Americans and Latinos. Among these was the largest residential fair lending settlement in history, totaling more than $335 million and involving more than 200,000 victims of discrimination – roughly two thirds of whom were Latinos.
Fighting against such practices – and working to eliminate bias and combat intimidation – constitutes a key area of focus for those who are engaged in civil rights work across every sector of our society. This focus is particularly important when it comes to ensuring the integrity and professionalism of every member of our nation’s law enforcement community.
As many of you know, nearly two months ago – after a lengthy investigation into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, in Arizona – and following numerous attempts to work with the Sheriff there and his colleagues to address the concerns that our investigation raised – the Department was forced to take an unusual, and extremely rare, action. The Civil Rights Division had no choice but to file suit against Sheriff Arpaio, the Sheriff’s Office, and the County for discriminatory police and incarceration practices that violate the constitutional rights of Latinos in Maricopa County. These policies simply have no place in responsible and effective law enforcement. And they must not – and simply will not – be tolerated.
In another recent case that NCLR members – and millions of others across the country – have followed with great interest, the Justice Department also challenged the constitutionality of an Arizona law that would have effectively criminalized unlawful status. And, of course, last Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down major provisions of this law – confirming the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate with regard to immigration issues.
The Court’s action marked an important step forward – which will help to ensure that our nation speaks with one voice on the critical, and complex, issue of immigration. Yet I remain seriously concerned – as many of you do – about the potential impact of other sections of the law, including the requirement for law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of anyone who is lawfully stopped or detained when there is any reason to suspect that the person is here unlawfully.
Let me assure you: the Justice Department will monitor the impact of this and other measures to make certain that they do not conflict with federal civil rights or immigration laws. We’ll work to ensure – as the Court affirmed – that such laws cannot be seen as a license to engage in racial profiling. And we’ll continue to enforce federal prohibitions against racial and ethnic discrimination, in order – as President Obama has promised – to “uphold our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.”
In line with this promise, just last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new policy that will help to focus limited law enforcement resources, protect public safety, and make our immigration enforcement efforts not only more efficient and cost-effective – but also more just. Soon, certain young people – who may have been brought to this country illegally by their parents, but who pose no risk to national security or public safety – may receive temporary relief from removal and the chance to apply for work authorization.
There’s no question that this action represents a significant – and long-overdue – improvement to our nation’s immigration policy. And we all can be encouraged that President Obama and other members of his Administration, including me, will keep working with Congressional leaders – from both parties – to advance the passage of critical legislation like the DREAM Act, and comprehensive immigration reform, in order to bring about fair and lasting updates to our immigration system so that it meets our 21st century economic and national security needs while continuing to honor our rich traditions and diversity.
In this work – as in the Justice Department’s civil rights enforcement efforts – my colleagues and I will continue to be guided by the legacy that organizations like NCLR have helped to shape. We’ll draw inspiration from – and remain dedicated to – the sacred values that have always set this country apart, and made America an example of strength – and a beacon of hope – for all the world. And we’ll do everything in our power to stand vigilant against any and all measures that threaten to undermine the effectiveness and integrity of our elections systems – and to infringe on the single most important right of American citizenship: the right to vote.
As part of this commitment, over the last 18 months – in response to a number of proposed changes that could make it more difficult for many eligible voters to cast their ballots – the Justice Department has initiated careful, thorough, and independent reviews of redistricting plans, photo identification requirements, and changes affecting third party registration organizations. In each of the jurisdictions where proposed changes can be shown to have no discriminatory purpose or effect, we’ll follow the law and approve the change. Where jurisdictions cannot meet this threshold, we will object – under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other laws – in order to guarantee that all eligible citizens have unrestricted access to the ballot box.
We also will move aggressively to protect the voting rights of citizens with disabilities, Americans living and serving abroad – particularly service members and their families – and the 19 million voting-age citizens who are covered by protections for language minorities. Over the last year and a half, I’m proud to report that we’ve resolved eight different cases to protect the rights of Spanish-speaking, Chinese-speaking, and Native American voters in communities all around the country. Today, we’re taking additional steps to review nationwide compliance.
And as my colleagues and I keep working to build on this progress – and strive to take all of our efforts to a new level – know that we’ll continue to rely on organizations like this one to help lead the way forward. And know also that we’re depending on you to help us ensure that – in our workplaces and military bases; in our housing and lending markets; in our schools and places of worship; at the ballot box and in our immigrant communities – the rights of everyone in this country are protected.
As the advocates and activists in this room know all too well, this never has been, and never will be, easy work. And although we can be proud of the great strides our nation has made in the decades since NCLR was founded – and since the day John F. Kennedy laid out his vision for an inclusive, “spacious society” – the harsh reality is that much remains to be done, and the road ahead remains far from certain.
So as we gather this afternoon – to look toward the brighter future we seek, and that, together, we must build – I urge you to keep rallying new partners to this work. Seek new ways to expand – and extend – the promise that has always given shape to our highest aspirations. Demand that policymakers move beyond partisan gridlock and political gamesmanship. And call upon leaders in Washington – and in communities across the country – to reach for practical solutions to the difficult problems facing the American people.
As a result of your committed leadership, we’ve already come a long way. Pero solamente juntos podemos lograr un future mejor. But only together can we achieve a better future. Thanks to your continued engagement, as I look around this crowd, I can’t help but feel optimistic about where our joint efforts can – and will – lead us from here.
Once again, thank you for all that you do – and keep up the great work. Si se puede.
STEEL BEACH PICNIC ON BOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN
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Sailors participate in a steel beach picnic on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Cooks from the Valley, a volunteer organization from Bakersfield, Calif., delivered and cooked more than 14,000 steaks for Sailors as part of a visit to naval assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. Lincoln is deployed to the 5th Fleet conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and combat flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan P. Idle (Released) 120705-N-VO377-042
WAR-FIGHTER ILLNESS
Written on JULY 2, 2012 AT 7:17 AM by JTOZER
Targeting Illness Faster, Safer, And More Effectively
In addition to keeping the warfighter safe while deployed in theater, there is a clear need to maintain warfighter health throughout their military service. For example, the Military Infectious Disease Research Program reports that more warfighters are hospitalized each year for infectious diseases than are wounded in combat.
The negative effects of warfighter illness and downtime multiply when extended across the military: numerous medicines must be transported to military treatment facilities around the world, soldiers must be trained to fill new roles, and in some cases operational plans must be modified or even postponed.
A rapid and adaptable platform to treat military-relevant disease may reduce this logistical burden and increase operational readiness. In Vivo Nanoplatforms for Therapeutics (IVN:Tx) seeks revolutionary treatment methods to get sick warfighters back on their feet, fast.
This solicitation calls for development of nanoplatforms that treat a variety of diseases.Such nanoparticle therapeutic platforms could be rapidly modified to treat a broad range of diseases, but more importantly will be based on safe and effective technologies.
While the medical community has been using small-molecule therapeutics to treat diseases for years, traditional drugs are often effective against only one disease, are associated with significant side effects and are very expensive to develop.
“Doctors have been waiting for a flexible platform that could help them treat a variety of problematic diseases,” said Timothy Broderick, physician and DARPA program manager. “DARPA seeks to do just that by advancing revolutionary technologies such as nanoparticles coated with small interfering RNA (siRNA). RNA plays an active role in all biological processes, and by targeting RNA in specific cells we may be able to stop the processes that cause diseases of all types—from contagious, difficult-to-treat bacteria such as MRSA to traumatic brain injury.”
Safety is a key factor to the many potential technical approaches for IVN:Tx. Nanoplatforms must be biocompatible, nontoxic and designed with eventual regulatory approval in mind. The IVN:Tx approach of treating illness inside specific cells may also minimize dosing required for clinical efficacy, limit side effects and adverse immune system response. Similar to today’s medicines, the therapeutic nanoparticles will move throughout the body in a natural, passive manner.
IVN is a technology demonstration and human trials will not be funded. However, proposers are encouraged to submit plans for testing that would result in a clinical protocol prepared for approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA will be engaged with the IVN:Tx team throughout the program lifecycle by reviewing proposals, participating in Proposers’ Day meetings and participating in government review boards.
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